A multitude of student musicians from across the region are preparing for District 10 auditions, where band, jazz band, chorus and orchestra members showcase their talents for the opportunity to perform among the best in our district.
Music teachers are helping students fine-tune their performances, providing support in preparation as the audition day approaches.
Chorus teacher Richard Horst said the experience can vary widely from student to student.
“Some students handle it easily—they just prepare well, breeze in, breeze out,” Mr. Horst said. “Other students get nervous. It’s a very competitive process, and it just depends on how that’s going to affect the kids.”
Mr. Horst, who will serve as one of the chorus judges, noted that most participants come well prepared.
“Out of the 700 or more students that are auditioning, 690 of them know the notes, rhythms and words,” he said. “But it’s the little things—the artistry—that separate the best from the rest.”
Band director Richard Bullock is overseeing both concert and jazz band auditions. Concert band and orchestra students perform live, while jazz band auditions are recorded and submitted electronically. Mr. Bullock said the preparation process starts months in advance.
“Usually starting in May, that’s when they start looking at the music,” Mr. Bullock said. “It’s a tough piece—usually a collegiate-level or professional-level solo. They work on it all summer.”
Mr. Bullock believes the auditions offer more than just a challenge.
“You get to meet new people, work with different conductors and composers and perform with people playing at the top of their game,” Mr. Bullock said.
“Its good for them to get out and play with other like-minded musicians,” orchestra director Ms. Lauren Flack said.
Orchestra director Ms. Flack helps students manage their nerves by having them perform for peers and teachers before auditioning.
Ms. Flack said students are tested on sight reading, scales and a solo excerpt—and they don’t know exactly what they’ll face until they walk in. Despite the nerves, she believes the experience is invaluable.
“It exposes them to a different level of music-making,” Ms. Flack said. “It’s like my top four students—but everyone is like them. That’s not something I can recreate here at school.”
As District 10 auditions near, the halls of our school are filled with scales, solos and desperation—each note representing a student’s dedication to their craft.
